Where is that oil going?
As you could see from the pics I posted yesterday, we have our boat secured to one of the docks at Port Louis Marina. We’ll remain here, along with many of our friends, for the duration of carnival. Festivities are in full swing as evidenced by the loud music which has been pumping non-stop throughout the night. Fortunately, both Rebecca and I are sound sleepers and the music doesn’t bother us. Boaters who are not such sound sleepers often leave the marina during this time, a good thing for us!
While we’ll be off with some other cruisers tonight watching the pan band competition at the national stadium, we have some boat chores slated for today. The biggest one on my list is cleaning the engine room. We’ve noted a fairly substantial oil leak and my first step in diagnosing the problem is cleaning the area so that I can see where the oil is leaking from. I suspect that it’s going to be a hot, sweaty, dirty task. In other words, a typical boat job!
Mike,
If it’s not obvious where the oil leak is, a light dusting of baby powder on the engine can help trace the leak.
Eric
I think I found a least one leak already.
Love a diesel…in RV terms they call that a diesel pusher, maybe in nautical terms it’s a “diesel paddler?!?” Yes, I know lame attempt at boat humor! We live on a small farm, quite a few acres, barn, pasture, lake. In the hordes of dollars I’ve spent on my place (welcome to home ownership) one of the best all-time buys was my 3-cylinder Ford Diesel. I rescued this from an overgrown weed invested propertry for about $2000 (including 3 different implements) and it has literally served me faithfully ever since (for the better part of 15 years or so). What have I invested in my old Ford, money wise….a couple batteries, oil, hydralic fluid, 1-tire repair (won’t worry about that on your boat!) You can’t beat the simplicity and reliability of a diesel!
Hopefully you find a simple fix for your oil leak and you can keep on chugging!
PS. I’m all the way up to 2012 in my quest to read your blog from start to finish! Still lovin’ it and learning a lot (including where the all-important nude beach is in Antigua 😉
Where the nude beaches are located alone is worth the effort to read through all of the posts on this blog. 🙂
I don’t know if this is any help but, I used to work at a place that would buy these dry bags (3′ long fabric absorbent 2″ dia. tubes) that they would toss on spills and pick up when full.
Myself, I always thought you could fill cheap tube socks with kitty litter, sew/tie the open end, and toss them around the engine/bilge/wherever. Use white socks, and you will see where the drip is. Would seem much easier than soaking up a puddle. Just a thought.
In this case I was cleaning the oil residue from the sides of the engine, not really cleaning much oil from the floor/bilge. Your idea is sound though. They actually sell things like that around here.
Is that Perkins blue?
Yes.
Finding the oil leak source sounds like a task for the go-pro and an extension mirror.
I tracked one down pretty easily. Fingers are crossed that it’s the only one!